Southern California -- this just in

Tour bus crash: Tijuana excursion agency suspends operations

February 5, 2013 | 5:47
am

The Tijuana-based agency that contracted the bus that flipped on a mountain road near Yucaipa suspended operations Monday as investigators continued to comb the wreckage of the crash, which killed seven people and injured dozens of others.

The tour bus, owned by Scapadas Magicas of National City, was operating under a contract with InterBus Tours and
Charters, located in a strip mall in an upscale district near Tijuana's restaurant row. The agency closed its office on Monday, but not
before another bus in the morning departed for Knott's Berry Farm with about 30
passengers.

Sales Manager Jordi Garcia said the agency's insurance would be handling
all burial expenses for the deceased. He said the agency had been open for one
year and offered daily trips to Disneyland, Six Flags and Universal
Studios. The trips attracted people from all walks of life, including students, families and young professionals, he said.

"Big Bear is also very popular this time
of year. They want to experience nature," he said. The day-long excursion cost
$40, he said.

He said the business contracts with independently owned bus
operators, and that he assumes they comply with all U.S. and Mexican regulations.
"We're only interested in their availability and the condition of their buses,"
he said, adding that the agency has never had a problem with any of the several
operators it contracts with.

However, maintenance citations of the tour buses owned by Scapadas Magicas were numerous and serious enough that the company was
placed on a federal watch list that flagged its buses for increased
roadside inspections.

Bald tires, defective or missing axle parts, and insufficient brake
linings were among 59 maintenance violations inspectors found on the
firm's buses in the last two years, U.S. Department of Transportation safety records show.

Maria McDade, who said she was Scapadas Magicas' administrator for
more than 20 years before retiring last year, said none of the company's
buses had ever been in an accident and, aside from a fine of $2,500,
the company had complied with all U.S. Department of Transportation
regulations.

"I feel really, really sad, but accidents happen," she said by
walkie-talkie phone from her home in Tijuana. "I feel so sad for all
these people." Current company officials could not be contacted for
comment.

A message posted on InterBus' Facebook page expressed regret for the accident and told clients that its contractor was insured.

The Scapadas bus left Tijuana early Sunday with 38 passengers,
including children, and was descending California Highway 38 from the ski resort
town of Big Bear Lake when the driver apparently lost control about
four miles from Yucaipa.

The bus clipped a small Saturn sedan before it veered into oncoming
traffic and began to roll, tossing out passengers who were not wearing
seat belts. It crushed an oncoming Ford pickup before coming to rest
upright atop a boulder and a 10-foot elderberry bush on a stretch of
highway along Mill Creek. Backpacks, clothing and body parts were strewn
across the crash site and, on Monday morning, a body remained draped out
one of the bus windows.

"It is a gruesome and horrible scene. It's one of the most horrific
scenes I've ever seen in 10 years with the department," said Officer
Leon Lopez, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

The bus driver, as well as passengers, reported that the vehicle was
experiencing mechanical problems before the accident occurred,
authorities said. Investigators said they believe that a problem with the brakes may
have led the bus to speed out of control down the highway's sweeping
curves.

Federal transportation records show that the bus involved in the
crash had been cited as recently as October, when inspectors found a
damaged windshield and noted that there was no properly installed fire
extinguisher. In July, they found a faulty axle and brakes. An
inspection in May revealed loose or missing wheel fasteners.

The violations helped place Scapadas Magicas below industry norms for
safety. More than 75% of carriers in the same class have a better
safety record, according to the Department of Transportation.

On Monday, officials questioned the driver, identified as
Norberto B. Perez, 52, of San Ysidro, but did not disclose his account
of the crash.

"Everything happened so fast. When the bus spun, everything flew, even
the people," passenger Gerardo Barrientos, who was sitting on the bus
next to his girlfriend, told the Associated Press. "I saw many people
dead. There are very, very horrendous images in my head, things I don't
want to think about."